Appendage for ornamental chains



(N0 MbdeL) J. L. SWEET.

APPENDAGE FOB ORNAMBNTAL CHAINS. No. 381,743. PatentedDec. 1, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rEicE.

JOSEPH L. SWEET, OF ATTLEBOROUGH FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPENDAGE FOR ORNAMENTAL CHAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,743, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed April '7, 1883. Serial No. 90,910. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. SWEET, of Attleborough Falls, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in GhainTips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to chain-tips which are commonly provided at the ends of watchchains to form a connection between the chain proper and the hook or snap at the end thereof; and the object of the invention is to provide a chain-tip of handsome appearance which may be made at less cost than those having their opposite faces ornamented by hand-engraving.

The invention consists in a chain-tip composed of struck-up or embossed ornamental plates of corresponding form, and a band or frame interposed between the plates, and to the edges of which the plates are secured, each plate having its edge portion offset slightly, so as to produce a rim or flange corresponding in form to and fitting the band and forming on the outer faces of the plates sunken panels within which any desired design or ornamentation is produced. This construction is particularly desirable for chain-tips made of rolled plate, because by striking up or embossing the plates the thickness of the gold plate is left unimpaired, and the gold plate is not out nearly or quite through, as it often is by handengraving.

In the accompanying drawings, which is made to an enlarged scale, Figure l represents a piece of metal having an ornamental design produced thereon by pressing or stamping. Fig. 2 represents the same piece of metal cut to the desired outline and adapted to form one face of the tip. Fig. 3 is a section on the dotted line a: 00, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is aperspective View, and Fig. 5 a sectional view, of the completed tip.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The tip is composed of a band or frame, B, and struck-up or embossed ornamental plates A A, applied and secured to opposite sides thereof.

The band or frame B may consist of a strip of thin metal of proper width bent to the desired shape and having its ends soldered together. The plates A are of the same outline as the band or frame B, and have any desired ornamental configuration or design produced in them by stamping or pressing with dies.-

Iu producing each struck-up plate A, I take a piece of metal, A, of sufficient size, and by stamping or pressing with dies I produce an ornamental design or figure, a, therein, as shown in Fig. 1. The metal will generallybe thin, and hence those parts of the ornament I which are in intaglio on the face willbe in relief on the back, and vice versa. After once making the dies the cost of ornamenting the metal will be almost nothing. In the piece of metal A here shown there is formed a sunken panel, b, in which is the ornamental design a in relief. Subsequently the piece or plate A. is cut from the piece A and to the form shown in Fig. 2. The line on which the surplus metal is cut or trimmed off is just outside the edge of the panel 12, leaving a rim or flange, 0. (Shown clearly in Fig. 3.) The band or frame B is of such size that the :flange 0 will lap over its edge and be flush with the exterior outlineof the said band or frame, as shown best in Fig. 5. The rim or flange c, which corresponds in shape to and overlaps the edge of the frame or band B, is offset slightly beyond the portion 1) of the plate A, and thereby there is produced on the inner side of the plate a projection, which enters within the band or frame B, and on the outer side of the plate a sunken panel, 12, within which the design appears. The two pieces A A are secured to the band or frame B. The band or frame B may also be ornamented by stamping or pressing with dies. The strip from which the band or frame is produced may be thus ornamented.

Not only can chain-tips be made very cheaply according to my invention, but when made of rolled gold plate or other forms of plated metal the thickness of plate will remain unimpaired at every part, and hence will wear longer than when hand-engraved.

By my invention I am enabled to dispense entirely with hand-engraving on chain-tips, or to greatly reduce the quantity of hand-engraving, for it is obvious that a small amount of hand-engraving might be performed in connection with the ornamentation produced by stamping or pressing.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The ornamental chain-tip herein described, to and fitting the band B; and-forming on the consisting of the struck-11p or embossed orouter face of the plate a sunken panel b, snb- IO namental plates A A, of corresponding form, stantially as herein set forth. and the band or frame B, interposed between the plates and to the opposite edges of which JOSEPH SWEET the plates are secured, each plate Ahavi-ng \Vitnesses: its edge portion offset slightly, so as to pro- T. J. KEANE,

duce a rim or flange, 0, corresponding in form I CHANDLER HALL. 

